Villagers kill rare white leopard in Kerthar National Park

The body was recovered in the village of Mohammad Ali Faqeer; SWD registers case against 5 involved in the killing

KARACHI:

Local villagers killed a rare white leopard within the boundaries of Kerthar National Park on Monday night, officials said.

The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) swiftly took action, registering a case against five individuals involved in the killing.

Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the leopard was shot dead at approximately 12:30am, and photos of the incident were circulated on social media, sparking public outrage.

SWD officials, led by Deputy Conservator Wajid Shaikh, identified two of the individuals responsible as Qadar Bux and Ghulam Hussain Sonaro from the local community.

A white leopard shot dead within the limits of Kerthar National Park. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Shaikh expressed the department's commitment to apprehending the culprits, stating, "We will have to arrest these men." The SWD learned about the incident through social media, prompting a prompt response.

The body of the killed animal was recovered in the village of Mohammad Ali Faqeer, within the jurisdiction of taluka Thano Bola Khan.

Deputy Conservator Shaikh confirmed the unprecedented nature of the incident, noting that a white leopard had never been sighted in Kerthar National Park before.

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He speculated that the leopard might have migrated from Balochistan. The last recorded sighting of a leopard in the area dates back to 1976.

The SWD is taking legal measures in response to this unfortunate incident. The leopard's body is being transferred to Hyderabad, where it will be presented before the court.

The department plans to initiate preservation procedures after obtaining necessary permissions.